Free Web NovelChapter 96: Chapter 96
Aria’s POV
Nathan’s gaze was steady, searching. And then it clicked.
The first time was at the hotel when Lana was sick, and he’d helped without hesitation.
And now... after she’d been taken... he’d rushed through the night to bring her back to me.
My lips tightened. "I’m taking Lana and leaving tomorrow."
"You’re misunderstanding me," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting like he owned the space, in a tall, composed and infuriating manner.
Lana, now full and energetic, wriggled in his arms. His hold didn’t even budge.
A man in a tailored suit, holding a pacifier-chewing baby with absolute ease... it was almost strange.
Almost... warm.
I swallowed, confused. "Then what do you mean?"
"Richard was right about one thing, it’s not safe for you and Lana out there." He leaned back slightly, confidence rolling off him like heat. "But Asterfell? That’s Hemsworth territory."
His tone held pride, maybe arrogance—but he wasn’t wrong.
The Hemsworth family practically controlled the state’s economy. Under his protection, I wouldn’t have to run. Wouldn’t have to live in fear.
But what was the cost?
My chest tightened.
I’d thought sheer willpower could protect Lana. That my claws, my instincts, my stubbornness were enough.
But Richard had taken her from right under my nose.
I’d been helpless.
The realization collapsed something inside me. My posture slumped, my breath trembling.
Nathan noticed. His voice softened, warm in a way that made my wolf pause. "You’re my wife. Hemsworth Villa is your home."
Home.
The word scraped something raw in my chest.
"No," I whispered, shaking my head.
His brows twitched with surprised.
I lifted Lana out of his arms, stepping back instinctively. He locked eyes with me. "Why not?"
Because he was the reason my life fell apart.
"Hemsworth Villa isn’t my home," I said, my voice steady and ice-cold. "And it will never be Lana’s."
His gaze flickered with a mix of surprise, confusion and something else.
A bitter laugh almost escaped me.
This man...
The same man who sent me to prison with his so-called "fair judgment."
The same man who let Sophia humiliate me in the Hemsworth Group building where I once worked my soul out.
A chill swept up my spine, turning my eyes hard.
"I’m taking Lana and leaving tomorrow," I said, not giving him room to trap me with words.
I walked out with Lana, my wolf bristling protectively, the soft slam of my bedroom door sealing the conversation—and him—out.
Behind me, the kitchen fell silent.
I sensed rather than saw him hesitate... then let me go.
Hours passed. The kitchen light stayed on until dawn. His scent remained faint in the air, tinged with smoke he’d never lit.
I slept only lightly, waking with the sun.
Lana still dozed peacefully beside me, and I got up quietly to pack. I slipped the zipper closed as softly as I could, then opened the door.
The villa was silent.
Nathan was gone.
Relief washed through me, hot and shaky. I’d half-feared he’d block my escape, send guards, something.
But the path was clear.
Lana woke with a sleepy smile, rubbing her little fists over her eyes. My heart ached. I lifted her against me. She pressed her cheek to my shoulder like she understood everything.
Maybe she did.
At the front door, I hesitated—just a breath. Memories pressed in: the last time I walked away, determined, raw, hopeful.
This time, I walked away for good.
A taxi waited outside. I strapped Lana in, climbed in, and shut the door.
As the car pulled away, the hairs on my neck rose.
It was as though someone watched.
Richard’s POV
"Why’d Aria spend the night at Hemsworth Villa?" fгeewebnovёl.com
Sophia’s voice hissed through the phone. It was sharp, grating and demanding.
My jaw tightened.
Silence stretched for a beat.
Then a laugh slipped out of me. It was cold, mocking, edged like a blade.
"Sophia," I said, letting my voice drop to that low, icy register that always made weaker wolves tremble. "Are you questioning me?"
I could practically hear her freeze.
Her breathing hitched and fear crept in.
Good. She must have forgotten herself for a minute.
She scrambled to correct herself, her voice trembling. "I—I just mean... Aria was at Hemsworth Villa. You told me to spread the rumor about the pregnancy to get rid of her, so why is she back?"
So the little fool dared push again.
I snapped back, "Why don’t you ask your Alpha Nathan?"
My wolf growled under my skin, irritation rolling off me in waves. Even through the phone, the air around Sophia probably dropped ten degrees.
She stuttered, lost. "Wh-what do you mean?"
I didn’t bother answering. I tossed my phone to Jude, jerking my chin.
"Tell her."
While he filled her in on last night’s events, I leaned back in my seat, rubbing the sleep-deprivation ache between my eyes.
Nathan barging into my territory at midnight, storming into my office, snatching the kid right out of my hands—
My claws twitched beneath my skin at the memory.
I heard fabric tearing through the speaker as though Sophia’s nails were ripping something.
"Sophia," I growled into the phone when Jude handed it back, "Aria spent a year in prison, and you still can’t win Nathan over?"
She didn’t answer. Probably because she knew I was right.
Nathan might’ve been "nice" to her, but I knew better.
He treated her like a loyal employee—kept her close, never too close.
She couldn’t even get a real hug out of him, let alone anything meaningful.
Pathetic.
Then came her little meltdown.
"Why? Nathan didn’t know the kid was his, right? Why’d he go to all that trouble for a kid that isn’t his? Why—why—why—"
All those whys, all that envy, all that desperation.
It was disgusting and I wasn’t in the mood.
"Sophia," I cut her off, my voice sharp as a fang. "I did plenty for you last year. You’re just useless."
And I hung up.
Jude, clearly nervous, hovered nearby. His eyes flicked to my face.
He swallowed hard before speaking.
"Alpha Richard... we’ve been close with Ms. Sophia Darvin. If we push her too hard—"
I leaned my head back, staring at the ceiling, a humorless smirk tugging my lips.
Sophia Darvin.
She was a pretty face, a weak wolf, a climber who rode Aria’s name like a ladder.
She thought she mattered.
Without me behind her, she was nobody.
My wolf snarled softly, amused.
"She’ll come crawling back soon enough," I said, voice dripping with contempt.
